A Possible Outcome
by MiruKail
Summary: Cloud is unceremoniously welcomed into ShinRa.  And just who is that dark-haired SOLDIER?  Yaoi, Zack/Cloud


A.N: This little story has been around for a while. I decided to re-post it on this lovely site. Treat it gently, y'all!

**CHAPTER ONE**

**Stuff in the Water**

"I'm Ms. Strife. Don't ask questions until I damned well finish speaking," the beautiful woman announced as she marched across the Oriental carpet of the ShinRa main building toward the receptionist, a shopping bag from an exclusive clothing store over her arm.

Gesturing toward the petite fifteen-year-old who trailed along behind her, she coldly added, "And this is Cloud Strife, my son. I'm here to enlist the little prick. Feel free to kill him in the line of duty or something. His good-for-nothing father stopped sending child support, anyway."

The receptionist stared at Ms. Strife a moment before finally working up the nerve to speak. "I-I'm afraid I'm going to need… the young man's consent before we at ShinRa can enroll him in any sort of system." A worried look was shot at the slender teen before she continued. "Do you consent, Mr. Strife?"

Cloud, having finally been acknowledged, shot a hesitant look toward his mother who promptly glared at him. He nodded slowly. "I accept," he whispered, staring at the ground.

The receptionist paused and then offered a smile at the teen. "General Sephiroth will be with you in a little while, Mr. Strife. In the meantime, please drink this and then you can sit over there and fill out this information."

She handed him a glass of clear liquid and he took it, suspiciously. Sniffing it, he took a cautious sip. It was just water. Gulping it down, Cloud handed her back the cup and took the paperwork. Someone had once told him it was best not to question ShinRa's quirky ways.

Self-consciously aware of his shabby jeans and grubby jacket, Cloud glanced uneasily at the elegant waiting room where fragile porcelain figurines reposed on an antique coffee table and valuable bronze sculptures were displayed on marble stands.

Giving the table with its fragile items a wide berth, he headed for a chair with a huge aquarium where exotic goldfish with flowing fins swam leisurely among the plants. Behind him, his mother poked her head back into the room and warned the receptionist, "Cloud will knock over anything that isn't nailed down. He's clumsy and moronic, so you had better watch him like he's going out of style."

Drowning in humiliated anger, Cloud slumped down in the chair, then stretched his legs straight out in front of him in a deliberate attempt to appear utterly bored and unaffected by his mother's horrible remarks, but his effect was spoiled by the splotches of red that stained his cheeks.

After a moment, he wriggled up from the uncomfortable position and looked with dread at the information packet he had been given to complete. He hadn't wanted to join ShinRa in the first place; all of this had been a coquettishly thought up plan on his mother's part to both get rid of him and collect on the monthly stipend that the giant corporation sent to parents of those employed by them. Cloud wasn't ready to die yet; not for a cause he didn't believe in and ESPECIALLY not for a woman who didn't believe in him.

Cloud's hand tightened on the pen as he fought back the familiar feelings of frustration and angry despair that swamped him whenever he thought about his mother. He wasn't loved. It was a hard fact that he had steadfastly refused to accept until this very moment. Having one's own mother want to give you away to die was enough of a wakeup call, thank you very much. He supposed it wouldn't have been as bad if he had at least one person back home that cared if he was gone- that would shed a tear if he were to fall in battle.

Cloud didn't even have that.

One of the odder inhabitants of Nibelheim, he was constantly beaten up and ridiculed for his chaotically spiky blond hair and small frame. Never a day had gone by that he hadn't wobbled home from school nursing a black eye, bloody nose, or even a broken limb. In some ways, joining ShinRa was a good thing. In others, it was a symbol of destruction.

Starting to feel a little warm and on edge, Cloud filled out the blanks, completing the form in record time. Folding it over once he was done, he eased himself out of the chair and brought it toward the receptionist. Avoiding her questioning stare, he handed her the sheets.

"Could you please tell me where the bathroom is?

"Right beside the elevators. General Sephiroth will be ready to see you pretty soon. Don't be gone too long."

"I won't," Cloud mumbled. After closing the office door behind him, he turned to look up at the name on it and carefully studied the name so he would be able to recognize this particular door when he came back. "ShinRa Offices," he whispered aloud so he wouldn't forget. Still feeling weirdly flushed, the blond headed down the long carpeted hall, turning left at the end of it, and made a right by the water fountain. Spotting the symbol for the boys' room, he practically ran toward it. Maybe he could hide in here until the time of the interview passed.

Sighing, Cloud shook his head. That would never work out. Even if he wasn't accepted by ShinRa, his mother had made it perfectly clear on the way over here that she wanted nothing more to do with him. It was either here or the streets of Midgar.

Taking care of business, he noticed how sensitive his body had become. Just a simple touch had him tensing like he was at home, privately masturbating in the shower. Trying his best to avoid his semi-erect penis, he zipped up. It had to be nerves.

Conscious of the time passing, he left the bathroom and hurriedly retraced his steps until he neared the part of the corridor where ShinRa Offices should have been. He ran from door to door, studying each of the names carefully. Spotting an unmarked door, he quickly shoved it open, his panic reaching nearly incomprehensible levels.

An extremely tall, unfamiliar man stood in the center of the room. His back was turned toward the door, giving Cloud an ample view of the giant sword strapped across his broad shoulders and the ShinRa-issued SOLDIER pants. Cloud was no fool to a First Class's uniform. Despite having not yet been initiated into a rank, he had watched plenty of television to know the kind of respect this uniform commanded. And he didn't give a flying fuck.

"Excuse me. Mister?" Cloud called, feeling his skin prickly hotly. "Do you know where the ShinRa Office is?"

Turning around, the man offered the blond a smile.

If recounting this story later for future friends, Cloud wouldn't have said he whimpered so much as he gave a manly gasp. And he definitely would have left out the part where he developed a raging erection in point two seconds flat.

The First Class SOLDIER was… beautiful. No other word could do him justice. His hair was a glossy black mane, each lock falling naturally into a tangle of spikes reminiscent to Cloud's. A single thick strand of hair fell into eyes the color of the purest mako, a blue-green so enhanced that it glowed. They clashed exotically against his tan skin.

The man's mouth offered Cloud the same visual feast as his eyes. It was wide with a set of lips that would make any female envious. Laugh lines were etched into the corners of those full firm lips. It all whispered sensual promises, the likes of which Cloud couldn't possible comprehend. With a mouth like that, it was easy to see that the man had been born to never shut up.

Cloud's gaze trailed down from the man's strong jaw line to the masculine swell of his Adam's apple, and continued until it finally settled on the thick muscles of the man's chest. His torso strained against the standard black, sleeveless SOLDIER shirt, stretching the material. The SOLDIER was made up of long, solid angles and ripped beyond comprehension. The muscles of his biceps were long and wiry, not overly bulky. A foreign part of Cloud cried out to be held in the stranger's strong arms and protected. The euphoria in him sang that if he took a few more steps forward, he would be home; he would belong. A sense of rightness rushed through his veins bringing with it a longing so intense it scared him. His erection quivered.

Cloud took a step back and trembled. Not even bothering to question his sudden interest in those of the male persuasion, he bowed once and bolted out of the door. It was all too much. The ache was insistent between Cloud's legs, crying out for relief. The heavy fabric of jeans brushed against his already leaking erection as he ran down the hallway. He stifled a moan and slowed down. His tattered shirt teased his sensitive nipples into sharp little points. He'd never been this aroused in his entire life. He ached to take himself in hand and give his body relief; even more so, he ached for the stranger to do it for him.

Blushing, Cloud willed himself soft. When that didn't work out, he began thinking of the grossest things imaginable. Several failed attempts and a rock hard erection later, he fell to his knees in the middle of the deserted hallway, unable to stand the pressure on his sensitive organ. It throbbed hotly, dampening the front of his pants with pre-cum. As if controlled by someone else, his hand sought out the bulge and pressed ever-so-gently against it. It caused an involuntarily loud whimper to escape his throat.

Still controlled by unknown sources, his hand traced the outline of his cock and ghosted against its swollen ridges. Cloud began to panic. Why couldn't he stop? It was as if his hand had been taken over. He, quite literally, was frozen in place, being assaulted by his own wayward appendage. It filled him with an overwhelming, heady mixture of fear and desire.

His hand continued its rogue path over his trapped arousal and settled on his zipper. Cloud's cheeks flamed in embarrassment. Was he really about to unclothe himself in the middle of public? He willed his body to move but it was to no avail; he was frozen, subject to this foreign almost-disease that controlled his hand. It yanked down the pull of his zipper and the heavy pressure was released from his erection. Cloud almost sighed in relief but caught himself at the last second. This was supposed to be a bad thing.

Tears prickled hotly behind Cloud's eyes as his hand grasped his penis firmly and released it from its cloth prison. It slapped against his stomach, the head already slick and leaking. One wayward finger rubbed the swollen slit in the center of his cock's head, causing Cloud to writhe. It moved down his length before joining the other fingers to form a tight hold. Each stroke of his hand caused his overly sensitive flesh to jump and harden even further. More tears trickled hotly down the blond's cheeks as the helplessness overtook him.

It was too much.

Finally gaining a small semblance of control over his body, he hunched over his active hand. His slender shoulders heaved in a combination of misery and pleasure. So caught him in controlling the unwelcome pleasure, he failed to notice the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Are you alright?" A man asked from somewhere behind Cloud. His voice was gravelly with concern.

Ready to die from embarrassment, Cloud refused to turn away to face the unfortunate newcomer. His hand continued milking his cock, and kept drawing involuntary moans. Head lowered, Cloud's tears leaked onto the ground, forming a pattern. He willed the newcomer to go away.

It was silent and then, "I've got you, little guy. You don't have to be embarrassed." A pair of strong arms wrapped around Cloud from behind, surrounding him with comfort. He felt his body begin to relax and then, his orgasm hit.

It ripped through Cloud's small body, causing his limbs to seize and shake; a release unlike any he had ever felt before. Small spurts of hot cream showered the hall floor in front and dribbled down onto his pant legs. White hot lights burst behind his lids, which had flutter shut somewhere in the process, and he leaned back into the solid chest behind him.

The newcomer stroked Cloud's hair, whispering nonsensical words into his ear. A gloved finger reached around to brush Cloud's lips and he opened his mouth to suckle on it, frantically. The slight acrid taste of leather anchored him in a world of chaotic feelings. The thick material felt heavy against his tongue and he let it slip out from between his lips.

Finally, after long last, the orgasm impended a little. Cloud leaned his sweaty head back, forgetting where he was for a moment. When his skull made contact with warm strength, his eyes flew open in alarm.

'Oh shit.'

Cloud shot forward, crawling on his hands and knees to get away from the stranger behind him. He clambered to his feet. Whirling around, he turned to face the one witness to his embarrassing plight. And gasped. It was the beautiful stranger from the previous room. If he could die now, he'd go willingly.

Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome smiled awkwardly and ran a hand through his wild, black hair. Following the movements unwittingly with his eyes, Cloud felt himself harden again. He tensed in disbelief.

'Sure I'm a teenager but this is ridiculous,' he hissed to himself. Burrowing his face in his splayed palms, Cloud groaned. He wanted to disappear. This guy was a First Class. He had just shot off in front of a First Class! If that wasn't a ticket straight to the streets, he didn't know what was.

Despair and embarrassment ripped through him and caused more tears to well up behind his shut lids. 'Please let me die please let me die please let me die ple-'

"Hey now, blondie. I told you there wasn't a reason for you to be embarrassed. It happens to everyone. Hell, even me!"

Cloud peeked through his fingers, trying his best to shoot the man a disbelieving look. The stranger chuckled. "No, I'm serious. It's totally in the water they give you when they first have you fill out paper work. You drank it, right?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side. Cloud nodded, slowly and let his hands drop down to his waist.

"S'what I thought. They put a minuscule concentrated dose of mako in the water to test a possible candidate's resistance to it. One of the sure signs you're right for ShinRa is if you start to feel a little… hot," the man explained. He lifted his well-muscled arms behind his head and offered a friendly grin.

Cloud wanted to punch something. It must have showed on his face because a second later, the man rushed to explain more. "Hey, it's not really as bad as all that. I mean, you've gotta look at the bright side. At least you didn't die!"

The blond's mouth fell open in horror. "It could kill you?" He squeaked. Did ShinRa really have such low disregard for human lives? And how could this idiot- 'An absolutely gorgeous, beefcake of an idiot,' Cloud amended- sit there and laugh about death like it was nothing? "You think it's funny to make jokes about death?"

The SOLDIER stiffened up immediately, his face changing. The sudden glow in the man's eyes was intense, throwing Cloud off. Yes," The stranger stated; voice husky with emotion. "Because they remind me that I'm still alive."

Cloud sobered up. His heart reached out for the man standing in front of him. All thoughts of embarrassment had fled, replaced by the constant foreshadowing of sadness. "I'm s-sorry, Sir," he stuttered, looking at the ground. He couldn't look this beautiful man in the eyes.

A gloved hand reached out and ruffled Cloud's hair, fondly. "None of that 'sir' crap. You're making me feel old. Call me Zack."

Cloud lifted his eyes to study the man's face. All pretenses of anger had disappeared off of his face and were replaced by a warm grin.

"Zack," The blond mumbled, testing the name out.

"Yeah?"

"Uh n-nothing. I just… thank you. For everything." Cloud's cheeks turned a bright red as he thought about what that "everything" entailed.

Zack laughed. "Sure. Anytime. And Cloud," he began, tilting his head ever-so-slightly to the side. Cloud's heart did a funny little flip-flop. "I do mean _anytime_."

A loud bell rang throughout the building just then, cutting off Cloud's response. It was lucky because he had no idea how to reply to that. The SOLDIER cursed and shot a quick glance at his watch.

"I hate to come and go so suddenly but I've got to get to this meeting. Do you have somewhere you need to be?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded, reluctantly. They said their collective goodbyes and he watched the SOLDIER leave. He should be heading back himself. It would probably take him a good twenty minutes to trace his steps, anyway. He wondered if Sephiroth was the kind of man that minded being made to wait. 'Probably,' he thought and hurried down the hall. Wincing, he slowed his pace, minutely. He was still rock hard.

The receptionist looked up when Cloud walked in. "Your meeting was scheduled over fifteen minutes ago. Did you get lost, Mr. Strife?"

"No, ma'am." He lied with an emphatic shake of his spiky head as he returned to his chair. Unaware that he was being observed through what looked like an ordinary mirror, he turned his attention to the aquarium beside his chair. The first thing he noticed was that one of the beautiful fish had died and that two others were swimming around it as if contemplating eating it. Automatically, he tapped his finger against the glass to scare them away. A moment later, they returned.

"There's a dead fish in there," he told the receptionist, trying to sound unconcerned. "I could, uh, take it out for you."

"The cleaning people will remove it tonight, but thank you for offering."

Cloud swallowed a protest at what he felt was a needless cruelty to the dead fish. It wasn't right for anything so wonderfully beautiful to be left in there like that; beauty deserved to continue on. Unwillingly, his mind returned to thoughts of a more masculine type of beauty and he blushed. His penis stirred warningly in his pants. Turning his attention back toward the matter at hand, he tried his best to keep his thoughts off of Zack.

Picking up a magazine from the coffee table, Cloud pretended to look at it, but from the corner of his eye he kept his surveillance of the two predatory fish. Each time they returned to prod and poke their deceased comrade, he'd steal a glance at the receptionist to make sure she wasn't looking, then tap the glass to scare the fish off.

A few feet away, in his office on the other side of the two-way mirror, General Sephiroth watched the entire little scenario; his cat-like eyes alight with interest as he watched the little blond's gallant attempt to protect the dead fish. Even something as trivial as that would be categorized in the boy's records. He showed potential heroism, something the people at ShinRa- and he, himself- valued.

Glancing at the dark-haired man beside him, Sephiroth said wryly, "There he is, Fair; Cloud Strife, our new recruit candidate. What has ShinRa come to? We even stoop so low as to recruit children?"

Zack coughed politely into his gloved hand. "I wouldn't say he's a child, per se. His paperwork says he's fifteen. Not to mention, he acts far older than his years; or at least from what I've seen so far."

Sephiroth quirked a questioning eyebrow at the SOLDIER. He knew the candidate was fifteen. It still felt too young. It wasn't in the General's nature to go by what others said but this was Zack Fair. If he had even a remote reason to doubt the man, they wouldn't even be talking at this moment. "You've _met _him?"

"Just as we had planned, sir," Zack reminded Sephiroth. "You wanted me to intercept him after the aphrodisiac you slipped into his drink took effect. Well, Subject apprehended."

The General "hnn-ed" in response and turned his metallic green gaze back to the blond boy. 'No, young man,' he corrected himself. Sephiroth watched the teen sneak occasional taps on the fish tank and smirked. He didn't know why but, he kind of liked this kid. He had certain special something about him that drew a reluctant smile. "And what did you ascertain from this meeting, Fair?" He inquired, not turning around.

"Strife's not quite SOLDER standards but that can be easily rectified with some training. He succumbed too easily to what I told him was 'concentrated mako'. Although," Zack paused, a soft smile playing across his full lips at the memory of the kid's temper. "I wouldn't be surprised if he beat the standards."

Sephiroth turned around at that. A normal cadet-candidate beating the SOLDIER system? Now, THAT would be worth hearing about. "Explain yourself," he drawled; his voice maintaining its bored pitch.

"Well, when I was apprehending the subject, I, uh, accidentally mentioned the death rates of concentrated mako."

"I know," Zack stated, raising his hands in a placating gesture at the twitch of Sephiroth's silver brow. "My mistake. I should have been more careful." He offered up a small guilty grin.

Sephiroth sighed. Not even he, the Demon of Wutai, could stay mad for long when it came to Zackary Fair. He gestured impatiently for the SOLDIER to continue.

"So, anyway. When I mentioned these rates, instead of kissing my ass or making some smart ass comment, he actually got angry. I could see it in his eyes. We don't have that many SOLDIERS who still have their souls. It was refreshing to see, man. That kind of passion is almost guaranteed to make a fine SOLDIER."

Sephiroth nodded, absently. He had turned his attention back to the young man halfway through Fair's explanation and was watching him with a renewed interest. He felt a shift in the atmosphere and a moment later, Zack was pressing up against the window next to him, nose and hands plastered to the two-way mirror. The General fought not to roll his eyes. Even at twenty-one-years-old, the SOLDIER still sometimes acted like a teenager.

Peeling himself away from the mirror after a moment, Zack turned back to him, smiling. "He's something else. I wonder what kind of secrets he's hiding," the dark-haired man mused aloud.

Eager at finally being put to good use, Sephiroth's brain made available to his mouth all the facts it had stored about the blond. "Cloud Strife, age fifteen. Height: 5'5, weight: 125 lbs. Allergies: soy and canned tuna. Weaknesses: slight depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and night terrors. Parents: Mother, Adel Strife; Father, Dimitri Storm. Physical ailments: susceptible to colds and aphrodisiacs. Anything else you'd care to know, Fair?"

Zack chuckled and ran a hand distractedly through his hair. "No. I'm just glad Cloud got his mother's maiden name." He started pacing. Sephiroth could practically feel the energy pouring off of him. "I wonder what caused him PTSD, though," Zack spoke out loud.

Sephiroth's brain automatically supplied him with the required information: According to an undisclosed file, dug up hastily by the Turks, Cloud had been abandoned in an alley when he was only a few hours old. Hospital records had indicated that he was born ten weeks prematurely and because of that, there were a long series of health complications until he was three years old.

Adoption records had recorded that the Nibelheim Adoption Agency had found adoptive parents for him when he was four years old. He was officially renamed Cloud Strife not even one month later. Another paper had stated that the adoptive parents split up when Cloud was eight years old, due to "complicated issues". There were various reasons among those problems that could have triggered a post traumatic reaction in any young child.

Sephiroth just shrugged. "How would I know, Fair? Do I look like a walking source of information to you?"

Zack stopped pacing and sighed. The General watched as the SOLDIER made his way back over toward the two-way, purposefully. The heavy boots barely made a sound against the polished floor; courtesy of years of SOLDIER training. As he watched the dark-haired man watch the new recruit, something clicked in the back of his head.

Zack Fair, the perpetual ladies' man, had a crush… and HIS name was Cloud Strife. A small smile twisted Sephiroth's lips. Time to test out this new, interesting theory. Tapping a long finger against the glass to get the man's attention, he let the smile fade from his lips.

"I think," the General started, letting his words drawl out in his Nibelheim accent. "That I'm going to take the boy under my wing. After all, he's a pretty little thing. I don't want any of the other SOLDIER members trying something unsatisfactory toward him." He watched in amusement as Zack tensed visibly and fought to control his usually listless mouth.

Sephiroth could barely suppress a smile as the man's hands fisted at his sides. "We never even said if he was joining ShinRa or not. There was no interview. Who's to say he needs protection?" Zack asked, his voice trembling with restraint. It must have been killing the SOLDIER not to cause an outburst. The General chuckled, lightly.

"I don't need an interview to know he's perfect for a Cadet. And maybe I have designs on him myself." Zack's eyebrows snapped together and he, just barely, stifled a growl.

This was too much fun. Sephiroth deserved to get his kicks every once and a while; this was proving to be one of those times. He shoulders shook with the effort to keep in his laughter as the SOLDIER visibly steamed. Zack's arm muscles bunched with the urge to, undoubtedly, punch someone; mainly a certain silver haired general.

"Although," Sephiroth said, deciding to have mercy on the man. "I wouldn't be abject to someone else taking over those responsibilities for me. I tire of teaching new dogs old tricks."

Zack snapped to attention, his mako-enhanced eyes lighting up with pleasure. "I could remove that burden from you, Sir! I'm not too shabby at teaching, if I do say so myself." His chest puffed out proudly and he struck a cocky pose. Sephiroth pretended to consider for a moment.

"Hmm… I don't know. Can I trust you to follow through with the initiation?" Of course that was utter bullshit but Sephiroth figured the man could use a push in the right direction. Gaia only knew how the SOLDIER ever got a date; he was awkward at the worst times.

"Initiation?"

The General nodded sagely, his eyes locked onto the blond who was currently engaged in trying not to fall asleep. Sephiroth needed to page his receptionist to let Strife know that he was no longer required to complete an interview.

"Yes, the initiation. All personal mentors go through it with their students. It's a requirement here at ShinRa."

Zack stepped closer to the General, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "So, what do I have to do?"

Sephiroth beckoned him closer and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Head bowed, Zack didn't see the mirth in the normally stoic General's eyes.

This would be amusing indeed.

Zack walked down the narrow path, taking in the beautiful vegetation as he made his way toward the dorm Cloud had been temporarily housed in. It offset the cold metal and stone building, providing a sensual visual contrast. Leafy green stems crept up the sides of the building and twined around each sharp angle, producing a small bud at each conjunction. Colorful bushels of lilac and rose hugged the sides of the walkway, utilitarian in their neat little rows.

It always struck the SOLDIER as odd that an industry so renowned for its violent ways would pay such close attention to aesthetic appearances. Was ShinRa planning on awing its enemies with its artistic prowess? Ladies and Gentlemen, ShinRa's true war technique; the art of homes and gardens. He grinned at the thought, picturing the President himself dressed in a tuxedo, providing a tour for the Wutain commanders.

/"Yes, and over here we have a lovely hemlock plant; quite beautiful, don't you think?"

"Will you be using that to kill us?"

"No. I just liked the color. Thought you might like to share the experience."/

Snorting, Zack shook his head of the mental scenario and pulled his ID from his back pocket. Having reached his destination, he swiped the card through the scanner and waited for it to beep. A second later, the door swung open, allowing him access. He made his way down the long hallway, trying to focus on the task at hand.

'Find Cloud, Smooch Cloud- Phase complete.' Zack had had worse missions. Grinning, he stopped outside of the blond's room. Somehow, he knew he should have felt guilty about this. He knocked. No reply.

Sliding his all-access card through the slot, he waited for the door to slide open before stepping into the room. It was pitch dark, with nary a light to guide his way. He blessed his enhanced eyes and stalked across the room. His "target" was currently curled up into a little ball on the cot, sleeping.

Zack scanned the room briefly before spotting a light switch hidden in the corner of the wall. Should he risk turning it on and waking the blond? He chose, deciding he wanted Cloud awake when he laid his finest moves on… er… when he completed the mission.

He switched it on. Looking back over toward the bed, he almost twitched at the sheer cuteness the visual offered him. Cloud was curled up in a little ball on his side, adorned in long white pajamas with Chocobos on them. One thin arm was thrown over his face to block the light. Could he possibly pervert such an epitome of innocence?

'Hell yeah,' Zack thought as he stalked toward the cot.

Crouching down by the makeshift bed, he shook the slender teen. "Wake up, little guy. I've got something for you." His hoarse whisper seemed obnoxiously loud against the silence.

Cloud mumbled something sleepily and tried rolling over. Zack was having none of that. Sitting down, he reached over and picked the half-awake blond up, gently placing him on his lap. The SOLDIER stifled a groan of happiness. Holding Cloud felt right. Despite having just meant the teen, Zack felt as if he had known him forever. He stroked the wild blond spikes, petting them fondly.

Cloud made a mewling sound and scrunched up his nose, cutely. 'Fuck this,' Zack thought, feeling his cock hardening against his pants. 'I'm not waiting.' He stroked Cloud's cheek once before angling his lips over the blond's.

As their lips meshed together, Zack's insistent tongue traced the outside of Cloud's lips, demanding entrance. The blond parted them sleepily and all thoughts of baser fucking took over Zack's thoughts. His tongue filled the cavern of the teen's mouth. It consumed him, sending shock waves from his taste buds to his entire body. Zack growled aggressively into the kiss, the mere sound causing Cloud's hips to arch involuntarily against the man's insistent groin. Was the kid really still asleep?

The blond tasted both salty and sweet. As cliché as that seemed, no other adjectives could adequately describe the effect his tongue and now soft whimpers had on Zack. Especially that damned tongue… It curled around his own appendage, sucking hungrily. Each sensual pull of Zack's tongue milked the moans from Cloud's mouth.

'There's no way he's sleeping through this,' Zack thought, and opened his eyes he hadn't realized he'd shut. A pair of half-lidded baby blues stared back at him. Cloud whimpered slightly before wrapping his arms around the SOLDIER's head.

Sweet, slick saliva was exchanged, offered like a gift from mouth to mouth; half sweet saline, the other half pure energy… a combination of Cloud and Zack. The SOLDIER had to keep reminding himself it was a mission.

Zack nibbled Cloud's lips gently and finally broke the kiss, looking pleased. "I thought you could use a unique way of getting woken up," he teased.

Cloud's mouth worked once before he ground at a soft, "But Chocobo said he'd buy me a new house if I made him pancakes." And just like that, he fell forward, sound asleep in Zack's arms. Soft snores started up a moment later, drawing Zack out of his shock.

Chuckling, he placed Cloud back on the cot and settled in beside him. It was too late at night to bother going back to his own headquarters. Or at least that was the excuse he told himself as he curled protectively around the blond.

They would finish this in the morning.

TBC?


End file.
